1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus, such as a VHS-type video tape recorder (VTR), and more particularly to a magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus in which tape cassettes of different sizes, e.g. a VHS full-size cassette size a VHS compact cassette (C-cassette), can be loaded.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are conventional VTRs which are designed such that recording mediums of different sizes, i.e. a full-size cassette and a C-cassette having different sizes, can be loaded. In this case, a magnetic tape in these cassettes is passed between a feed reel and a take-up reel. When the full-size cassette is loaded, the full-size cassette is first inserted into a cabinet. Upon the insertion of the cassette, a cassette loading mechanism is operated, and the cassette is moved by a holder of the cassette loading mechanism to the location of a tape drive unit. Thus, the full-size cassette is loaded. When the C-cassette, in place of the full-size cassette, is loaded, the C-cassette is first contained in a separate C-cassette adapter and then the adapter is inserted into the cabinet. Upon the insertion, the C-cassette adapter is moved by the holder of the cassette loading mechanism to the tape drive unit. Thus, the C-cassette is loaded in the tape drive unit.
In these conventional VTRs, it is necessary to contain the C-cassette in the adapter each time it is loaded in place of the full-size cassette. It is thus troublesome to load the C-cassette after the full-size cassette.
Recently, there has been a considerable demand for a VTR wherein both full-size cassettes and C-cassettes can be smoothly loaded without using a separate C-cassette adapter.